ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPOILAGE OF CORN

Corn (Zea Mays) is a grain grown by farmers in various parts of the world especially in Africa. Its spoilage most times limits its availability to consumers and causes economic waste to farmers. Corn is mostly spoiled by fungi. The identification and characterization of these spoilage organisms will go a long way to proffer solution no matter how little to this problem of corn spoilage. The study will help in the acquisition of the knowledge of fungi associated or involved in the spoilage of corn, factors that enhance spoilage of corn and the risk involved in the consumption of spoilt corn. Furthermore, the study will serve as a reference material or resource to future researchers. The scope of this study covers the isolation and characterization of fungi associated with spoilage of corns that are grown only in Ozoro town, Isoko North Local Government Area.